High School Students Get Unique Opportunity with ETSU’s STEM and Environmental Health Programs

Introduction

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has recently announced two unique initiatives aimed at high school students this coming summer, with an emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and environmental health.

Applied STEM Foundation Program

The first program, the Applied STEM Foundation Program, is an experiential three-week program focused on digital media, engineering, computing, and other cutting-edge STEM areas. High school students will explore various STEM careers, gaining valuable insights through classroom lectures, hands-on experiences, field trips, and guest speakers. This immersive program promises to combine classroom knowledge with practical applications, fostering a deeper understanding of and active involvement in STEM fields.

The program, which runs from June 3 to June 21 of 2024, will cover areas such as project-based time management, logic and condition statements, and engineering and STEM vocabulary. Participants will also obtain experience in digital design and development, and potentially earn college credits in the process. Enrollment is currently open for interested students until May 15, with an affordable cost of $25 per participant, which includes lunch.

Environmental Health Lab Experience

ETSU will also offer a separate week-long Environmental Health Lab Experience where high school students will work with ETSU faculty to explore multifaceted concepts in environmental health and occupational safety science. This program will provide hands-on experiences allowing students to assess how environmental health impacts our food, air, and water.

Lab activities such as water simulations, stream water sampling, air quality evaluation, and indoor air quality measurements are some of the planned hands-on activities. Running from June 3 to June 7, this program also comes at an inexpensive cost of $25 including lunch.

Unique Opportunity

Both the Applied STEM Foundation Program and the Environmental Health Lab Experience are designed as morning learning sessions followed by hands-on afternoon activities. At the end of these programs, students will showcase their accomplishments, with expert judges awarding prizes in multiple categories.

Words From ETSU

Dr. Keith Johnson, Chairperson of the Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Surveying at ETSU, asserts, “These programs yield invaluable learning experiences while also serving as important preparatory paths for high schoolers considering related college majors.” He pointed out that the programs align well with ETSU’s upcoming mechatronics program starting in fall.

For more information or to enroll in one of these programs, please visit ETSU’s official website.